Oscar bound
‘Shape of Water,’ ‘Three Billboards’ lead nominations
Guillermo del Toro’s lavish monster romance “The Shape of Water’’ fished out a leading 13 nominations, Greta Gerwig became just the fifth woman nominated for best director and “Mudbound’’ director of photography Rachel Morrison made history as the first woman nominated for best cinematography in nominations announced Tuesday for the 90th annual Academy Awards.
“The Shape of Water,’’ shot in Toronto and Hamilton, came just shy of tying the record of 14 nominations shared by “All About Eve,’’ ‘’Titanic” and ‘’La La Land.” Toronto native J. Miles Dale shares in the best picture nomination for the film.
Oscar voters put forward nine best-picture nominees: “The Shape of Water,’’ Martin McDonaugh’s rage-fuelled comic drama “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,’’ Gerwig’s nuanced
coming-of-age tale “Lady Bird,’’ Jordan Peele’s horror sensation “Get Out,’’ Joe Wright’s Winston Churchill drama “Darkest Hour,’’ Steven Spielberg’s timely newspaper drama “The Post,’’ Christopher Nolan’s Second World War epic “Dunkirk,’’ Luca Guadagnino’s tender love story “Call Me By Your Name’’ and Paul Thomas Anderson’s twisted romance “Phantom Thread.’’
Del Toro’s dark fantasy — a Cold War era ode to outsiders about a mute cleaning lady and an amphibious creature — scored a wide array for nominations for its cast (Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer), del Toro’s directing, its
sumptuous score (by Alexandre Desplat) and its technical craft.
Reached by phone Tuesday in Los Angeles, del Toro said he would celebrate by working and eating an extra chicken sausage for breakfast. “That will be my indulgence for the day.’’
The Mexican filmmaker said “The Shape of Water’’ has resonated because it explodes “the myth of ‘us and them.’’’
“You realize that we are all, in some way or another, a bit of an outsider in different ways,’’ said del Toro. “Not fearing the other but embracing the other is the only way to go as a race. The urgency of that message of hope and emotion is what sustained the faith for roughly half a decade
that the movie needed to be made.’’
The cascading fallout of sexual harassment scandals throughout Hollywood put particular focus on the best director category, which for many is a symbol of gender inequality in the film industry.
Gerwig follows only Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola and Kathryn Bigelow, the sole woman to win (for “The Hurt Locker’’).
Also nominated for best director was Peele. He becomes the fifth black filmmaker nominated for best director, and the third to helm a best-picture nominee, following Barry Jenkins last year for “Moonlight.’’